The tugs have been used to manoeuvre the airline’s 140-strong short-haul fleet out to the
runway for take-off during the last two years.

The airline’s
operators use a remote-control to move the Mototok Spacer 8600 and wear a wireless headset to keep in direct contact with the
pilots on board the aircraft while it is pushed out to the runway.

British Airways now has 25 Mototoks in use at Heathrow, with a vehicle
ready to go on each one of its short-haul aircraft stands at
Terminal 5.

Previously, the airline used diesel tugs to push its
smallest aircraft back, but these were shared between stands and
could slow down the departure process.

Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Head of Airports
Operations, said, “I’m delighted that we’ve hit this momentous Mototok milestone. We are the most punctual of the major
short-haul airlines flying out of London and this technology helps
us stay at the top. British Airways is at the forefront of airport
innovation, from the self-service and biometric technology our
customers use to quickly board flights, to these automatic
pushback vehicles, and our commitment to enhancing and
streamlining the customer experience through technology will only
increase as we continue our £6.5 billion investment for
customers.”